K-12: Last week of school for many (quote)                             “Finals are over, textbooks are shut. Time to trade pencils for popsicles!”

We LOVE VBS.  Six in 10 Americans say they went to VBS growing up. And almost everyone involved had a great time, according to a new survey from Lifeway Research. Among the memories: spending time with kids their own age, learning Bible stories (and verses), singing songs, creating crafts and playing games.

BTW: 7 in 10 parents say they would let their child attend VBS this summer – if invited!

More than half of parents (58%) say their child may attend more than one VBS this summer.  https://research.lifeway.com/2018/05/24/even-if-they-dont-go-to-church-americans-still-love-vbs/?

Healthy eating pays off. Women who follow a Mediterranean diet, with a focus on seafood, fresh fruits and veggies and less red meat, are likely to live longer.

The latest research from Brigham and Women’s Hospital analyzed medical data from more than 25,000 US women over 25 years; finding that women who had a larger Mediterranean diet intake had a “23% reduced risk of all-cause mortality.”

*Mediterranean diets consist of fresh seasonal fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, legumes, fish, olive oil, monounsaturated fats, and lower consumption of red meat.  https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2819335

Is Walmart going back to 24 hours?  Short answer, ‘No’.

“There are no current plans to return our stores to 24 hours of operations,” so says a Walmart official press release. *In 2020, Walmart went from operating 24 hours a day to closing at 11pm in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/walmart-24-hours/

Someone call me a doctor? Dr. Pepper is gaining ground in the soda wars.

The soft drink is now tied with Pepsi as the second-most popular carbonated soft drink brand in America, according to sales volume data from Beverage Digest.

Coke is still #1.  *Dr. Pepper, first born out of drugstore in Waco, Texas, was invented in 1885, one year before Coca-Cola.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/03/business/dr-pepper-pepsi/index.html

Did you hear several ‘loud booms’ in the Winston-Salem area on Monday?

Actually, it’s planned training for ATF special agents, explosives investigators and local law enforcement officers. The training exercise continues. So, don’t be surprised if you hear some loud booms in the Winston-Salem area over the next couple of days. https://myfox8.com/news/north-carolina/winston-salem/atf-hosts-post-blast-explosive-training-in-winston-salem/

Waiting for the ‘planets to align’?

There will be another ‘planet alignment’ later in the month, according to NASA.

Mars, Saturn, Jupiter and our own moon will be lined up in the early morning sky on June 29, all visible without a telescope. Another planetary alignment will  happen on August 28.

Note: The next full moon (the strawberry moon) will be on June 21, a day after the summer solstice on June 20.  www.newsnationnow.com/space/planetary-parade-postponed/?

The Biden Administration has turned to the U.N. Security Council to press Israel to accept a ceasefire and an end to the war with Hamas. Meanwhile, the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) have recovered the bodies of 4 more hostages kidnapped back in October and taken into Gaza.   www2.cbn.com/news/israel/white-house-moves-compel-israel-capitulate-gaza-un-idf-discovers-4-more-hostage-deaths?

American Red Cross: Local blood drives

Tuesday, June 4, 2024

Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden in Kernersville = noon – 4:30pm

Sedge Garden UMC (Kernersville) = 2:30pm – 7pm

Colonial Baptist Church in Trinity = 3pm – 7pm

Wednesday, June 5, 2024

Pierce-Jefferson Kernersville Chapel on West Mountain Street = 10am – 2pm

Deep River Friends Meeting (West Wendover) High Point = 2pm – 6pm

Guilford Tech Community College (GTCC) in Jamestown = 9:30am – 2pm

Jamestown Presbyterian Church (Guilford College Road) = 2:30pm – 7pm

Schedule your blood donation appointment TODAY at https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/

Download the Red Cross Blood Donor App or call 1-800-RED CROSS

Summer officially begins June 20.